Save Money On Your Home | Greenwich Moms

 

This post is provided and sponsored by Dibico Construction

If you ask a car enthusiast with a brand-new car or classic sports car if they would ever skip an oil change or tune up – they will most likely look at you with an expression of horror!  How could you even suggest that their beautiful, prized possession wouldn’t get the care and pampering it deserves?  Yet, ask those same people about the preventative maintenance program they follow for their multi-million-dollar homes and it is a completely different story.  Like any valuable asset or investment, your home needs to be managed.

 

Most homeowners have little to no preventative maintenance program in place.  Families buy and build these beautiful homes and then wait for things to break before they’d ever think to schedule a service call.  Some of us may have the obligatory annual generator check, HVAC service, or maybe have the gutters cleared, but beyond that most people wait for things to fail or become a problem before they bring in a professional.

That’s the most expensive, least effective and most inconvenient way to maintain a home, especially a luxury property where even a small amount of damage can result in a huge expense.

 

Preventative maintenance helps to keep your home, your family and your environment healthier.  Regular, routine inspections – usually monthly – ensure systems, appliances, structures and surfaces are all properly maintained and operating correctly, optimized for the purpose intended.

 

Most homeowners live in a world of emergency repairs.  By the time a repair is necessary it is already too late, the damage has been done and the cost is usually much higher. The key to really enjoying your home is maximizing and optimizing the amenities and features, minimizing downtime, protecting your family’s health, and minimizing costs all with as little effort and time as possible.  It is the difference between being proactive or reactive.

 

A common misconception is that a new home doesn’t need preventative maintenance.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  The sooner you start proactively maintaining appliances, HVAC, roof, etc., the longer those items will last, and function properly!

 

Saving Money

 

Cabinet hinges – it may seem like a small thing but having a cabinet hinge that has become loose or out of alignment and continues to be used ultimately result in a damaged door and the need to replace or repaint the door and surrounding cabinetry.  What would have been a quick adjustment can easily turn into a several hundred or even several thousand-dollar repair.

 

Missing caulking or grout – aside from being an eyesore in an otherwise beautiful bathroom, missing grout along the edge of a bath or shower or missing caulking between the backsplash and sink can result in water running down underneath the tub, floor or sink.  Horror stories like upstairs leaks that flowed into the dining room downstairs are often caused by ongoing, consistent moisture and water exposure in areas that were once tightly sealed.

Small unnoticed leaks – The worst story we ever heard was of a home in the Hamptons with a pin-prick sized leak in a bar refrigerator hose that went unnoticed until the adjacent wall began to bubble and the wood floor started to warp … this miniscule leak became a $2million repair with the family out of the house for almost a year!

 

 

Clogged grates and drains – Uncleared grates and drains outside your home can cause water to pool, seep into basements and over thresholds causing water damage, mold and long-term harm to masonry, foundation, landscaping and more

 

Saving Energy

 

Door and window seals – Having proper door and window seals increases comfort and decreases drafts, lowers utility use and energy costs, and reduces the presence of moisture and mold

 

Properly maintained appliances – Energy saving appliances can only be optimized when they are maintained properly.  Replacing filters, vacuuming and cleaning the mechanical area, tightening doors etc. are all necessary for energy efficiency

 

Increasing longevity of energy intensive items to replace – We talk a lot about reducing ongoing consumption, reducing our ongoing carbon footprint on day to day behavior, but one of the biggest culprits in energy use is the manufacturing of things like appliances, windows, roofing materials etc.  Maintaining these items so they last is an important factor in reducing our environmental impact

 

Saving Health

Changing filters regularly – Even the latest technology still requires regular maintenance and upkeep.  Often, we go into beautiful luxury homes that have a standard HVAC contract and find their air filters are completely black.  Regular filter replacement keeps the dirt from the air from recirculating, so your family isn’t breathing it in.                                                                                                                               

 

Vacuuming and cleaning under and around appliances – Similar to air filters, dust, sediment and debris gather around, behind and underneath appliances.  Many of them have some time of ventilation or cooling function which sucks the debris in and can push it into the air and also pull it into the motor.  Add other factors like grease, food debris and moisture and the area around appliances can be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, and even pests.

 

Preventing or removing mold – The dangers of mold are no secret, especially the infamous “black mold”.  Usually by the time mold is discovered by the homeowner it has already permeated a significant area.  Sometimes, the mold isn’t noticed until someone in the family has a health issue that defies explanation.  Regular inspections of basements, behind plumbing, and other high-risk areas helps to mitigate the risk of mold developing and can catch any existing mold sooner.

 

PREVENTION ISN’T A LUXURY

 

Preventative maintenance
isn’t a luxury for luxury homeowners, it is a necessity for anyone who wants to protect their investment and preserve the function and use of their home, increase the longevity and efficiency of systems, surfaces, structures and appliances, be a better steward of the environment, protect their family’s health and save money by avoiding expensive repairs. 

 

It is important to use one company that specializes in high-end luxury homes to oversee all of the inspections throughout the year, not a handyman service or a generic provider who doesn’t understand the complexities and expenses that are associated. Considering long- and short-term effects of any repairs or work that is done on the home and its effect on the aesthetics and value and overall integrity of the home is critical. 

 

A home builder who knows what it takes to build and maintain high-end properties, who also has a formalized preventative program is your best defense against future damage and expense.  Maintenance may not be as fun and exciting in the moment as a new pool house or kitchen, but having a beautiful home that stands the test of time provides long term, tangible benefits for you and your family that extend far beyond any renovation.

 

This post is provided and sponsored by Dibico Construction

 

A bit more about Dibico Construction:

Based in Greenwich, CT, Dibico Construction has a solid reputation for building and remodeling outstanding quality homes throughout Fairfield and Westchester Counties and New York City. We will personally take you through each step of building or remodeling your dream home. From finding you the perfect piece of property and designing your new home, through every meticulous detail of the completion of your dream home.

 

For more, click here

 

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